[ad_1]
Are we still the same Ireland that was welcomed by a thousand people? Do strangers have the same grá? Is there any place for universal courtesy and genuine hospitality in this modern world with modern values?
Of course, welcoming strangers should be in our DNA. In ancient Ireland, hospitality was mandated by law. The Laws of Blaine, which have served Ireland well for over a thousand years, have ensured that the spirit of hospitality remains ingrained in the hearts of Irish people for countless generations.
Under Breen’s Law, all households are obliged to provide some degree of oigidecht (hospitality) to travelers, even if they are unknown. This hospitality includes food, drink, bed and entertainment.
To ensure that the poorer sections of society were not overburdened by weary travelers, the island’s local chiefs established heavily staffed bruideans (taverns).
A typical Bruyd sits at a major intersection. It has doors on four sides, each of which is manned around the clock to ensure that no one can pass by without receiving an invitation to enter, rest and refresh. At night, the site is illuminated by torches, so it’s not to be missed. There are clear rules about what you can bring with you. Three portions of uncooked red meat must be prepared for cooking and three portions of cooked meat or stew must be prepared for consumption. A bruidean can have up to 100 beds and 100 servants.
Brain’s Law is different from our current system. Sure, they’re not perfect, but in many ways there’s a lot to be said for it. One of the crazier licenses came with the proviso that laymen could drink six pints of beer with dinner, while monks could only drink three pints in order to return to prayer while semi-awake.
There are also nine rules for romantic unions between men and women, from equal marriage to one-night stands.
However, on a recent trip to Limerick, it was hospitality that came to mind. In these fast-paced days, we often forget that we are all relatively similar; all striving for happiness and peace; all looking for a little kindness in our journey from cradle to grave.
I was in Limerick with a group of friends and the more outdoorsy among us decided to hire bikes and try out the local greenways. It was a sunny afternoon when we arrived in Bana, a thriving, well-served center full of happy people of all ages.
At the bright, breezy Locomotion bike hire shop we were lucky enough to meet Aoife, a very welcoming and helpful lady, who told us about the most convenient bikes to take us to and from Abbeyfeale, a 26km journey. She said we could easily get it done before she closed at 5.30pm.
Of course, that’s not the case. We have the more athletic guys in the team like Stephen Roche, Sean Kelly and the best people to have completed the Tour de France. They headed south towards Abbeyfield while the rest of us walked through the beautiful countryside embracing everything it had to offer.
We pulled into Abbeyfeale in time hoping to see our colleagues but did not see them. A quick phone call showed they were not paying much attention to Abbeyfeale station and were continuing on to Listowel.They explained that they knew Aoife’s closing time and could easily return the bike to Barnagh by 5.30pm
Long story short – that didn’t happen. The less athletic among us arrived back at Aoife shortly after 5.30pm, but the rest were still a long way from base. We expect a stern look and frequent checks of our watches. We were wrong!
Aoife made us feel at ease and her colleague Olive, who also runs the beautiful Platform 22 cafe in the same building, came and opened the door to us. She and her staff were cleaning up after a busy day but they took the time to let us relax and then offered us free tea, coffee and bread.
We were stunned. Their kindness was almost overwhelming. We ended up returning all the bikes 90 minutes late but at that stage we were treated like VIPs rather than late thugs.
This is a lesson in hospitality, a lesson in life, that will be remembered for a long time to come. The Barna Greenway Center in Limerick is certainly upholding Ireland’s ancient tradition of hospitality.
ADVERTISEMENT – CONTINUE READING BELOW
ADVERTISEMENT – CONTINUE READING BELOW
ADVERTISEMENT – CONTINUE READING BELOW
ADVERTISEMENT – CONTINUE READING BELOW
ADVERTISEMENT – CONTINUE READING BELOW
ADVERTISEMENT – CONTINUE READING BELOW
ADVERTISEMENT – CONTINUE READING BELOW
ADVERTISEMENT – CONTINUE READING BELOW
ADVERTISEMENT – CONTINUE READING BELOW
[ad_2]
Source link